A Cup of Jello
by Audrey K
Summary: In response to ZA Angels write-off challenge #2 My category Theme:How Gabriella and Sharpay come to terms with one another.


**Sharpay Evans by the numbers:**

5'4, _exactly _one hundred and twelve pounds, one Yorkshire terrier, a minute and six seconds ahead of her fraternal twin Ryan making her debut into the world first, and eighty-seven pairs of designer shoes. Two: the amount of carats in her princess cut earrings she wore each day to school. LB01: the perfect shade of Beverly Hills-esque bottled blond money could by this side of the Southern Hemisphere. Twenty-four inches: the enviable measurement of her slim waist, three: the amount of times her parents had ever uttered the one syllable word "no" in her direction.

**Sharpay Evans, underneath the numbers:**

Although seventeen years old, she was very much still the little five year old who'd rather play tea party underneath a tree versus hooting and laughing with the other wildcats in the sandbox. Her adoration for the color pink spawned a life of it's own. Her bedroom was an eclectic gathering of shades ranging from rose to bubble-gum, amaranth to coral, with special attention to her most beloved hue- shocking hot pink. Sharpay commanded attention. With a flick of her tendrils, and the slight narrowing of her eyes people cowered and bent over backwards to make her happy. If she sneezed, a flurry of tissues magically appeared under her nose from several passerby's. She hadn't opened a bottle on her own in the last two years- just the thought of Sharpay's wrath if she were to break one nail was enough to make any boy (if he knew what was good for him) offer to unscrew the lids from her bottled iced teas during lunch.

She had surpassed what most would call the 'popular' category. Cheerleaders (heaven help them with their hideous, pleated, _acetate_ skirts) were 'popular'. Popular was a world of child's play- like taking candy from a baby. Sometime between the end of middle school and the start of the wildcats' freshman year at East High Sharpay metamorphosed herself into the feared, opinionated, drama queen. She was _the_ Prima Donna of East High.

…until Gabriella Montez shyly introduced herself to a certain blue-eyed boy one New Year's Eve.

**Gabriella Montez by the numbers:**

5'1, one hundred and four pounds, one pet hamster named Layla, and seventeen pairs of various no-name flats and sandals. Eight: the number of junior scholar merit awards she'd received since the 5th grade. Twenty-nine: certificates recognizing her honor roll status, 4.4: her G.P.A. which surpassed the 4.0 mark due in part to her Advanced Placement classes, and twelve: college credits she'd already earned in her senior year, technically making her a sophomore in college. Two: amount of languages outside of English that she fluently spoke. One: how many boyfriends' she'd ever had.

**Gabriella Montez underneath the numbers:**

Most found it crazy that she preferred classical books like Jane Eyre to girly teen magazines. She'd never seen Grease, Top Gun, or Dirty Dancing growing up, and her first time wearing eye shadow had been to last year's junior Homecoming dance. She was a reserved, quiet young lady who took to observing others before opening up and making new friends. She believed there to be no better smell on earth than freshly purchased school supplies, and she loved numbers. Numbers spoke a universal language to all and their meticulous calculations fascinated her.

'Freaky math girl' was a name she'd unfortunately grown comfortable with people referring to her as. At her previous schools, low vindictive murmurs of her accolades and high markings followed her where ever she went. Gabriella had surprised not only herself, but the entire East High population when she and Troy Bolton began seeing one another. She was now well liked and held a sweet demeanor toward the entire student body, which made her popularity that much more inevitable. Gone was the shy wallflower, and what reemerged out of the former cocoon was a jubilant, outgoing young girl who was completely head over heels for East High's golden basketball star.

* * *

After a particularly grueling morning complete with a faulty alarm clock that left her little time to take a shower, a snag on her favorite cardigan that was now beginning to fray at the cuff, and a troublesome red spot with the familiar underlying aches associated with the beginnings of a fresh pimple, to say Gabriella was having a bad day was quite the understatement.

She sighed heavily as the fifth quarter bell sounded, indicating senior lunch period. Quickly securing the cap onto her ball point pen and lugging her heavy backpack onto her petite shoulders, she made her way down the congested hallways. Immediately, her first genuine smile of the day began to highlight her features as she felt a familiar strong hand grab hold of her palm and interlace their fingers between hers. She looked up into the vibrant orbs, and without saying a word-the two spoke to one another. Soon, his own toothy grin matched hers as they headed off toward their respective lockers- his first, then hers as they made their way to the cafeteria.

He noticed her swift steps and chuckled.

"Hot date?" Troy joked.

"Just hungry- starving actually" she shrugged.

"Didn't you eat breakfast?"

"No time. I woke up late today" she replied.

His mouth formed an 'oh' shape as he indicated his understanding and increased his pace.

"Babe, I brought my lunch so I'll meet you over at our table, okay?" he nodded in the direction of one of the larger benches where the rest of their friends had already begun to congregate.

"Sounds good, you want anything?" she questioned.

"Can you get me a milk?"

"Sure" she smiled, feeling her stomach do a small back flip as he gave a wink in her direction.

* * *

High above the same cafeteria an aggravated blonde huffed loudly as she rummaged through her large Jimmy Choo bag. Exasperated and tired of searching for the energy bar she desired, she chucked the four-figure accessory onto the floor without regard.

"You okay Shar?" Ryan asked as he lifted an eyebrow.

"Do I look okay?" she snapped.

He skimmed over her façade, noticing no cuts, bruises, or stains on her clothing and shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah."

Wrong answer.

"Ryan, what do I eat every day for lunch for the last oh, I don't know, century or so?"

"A Toffee and peanut butter Slim Fast bar?" he announced in more of a question than an answer- not understanding where this was all going.

"And what seems to be mysteriously missing from my bag today?"

She was met with silence, which caused her eyes to narrow to the size of small slits. Ryan gulped loudly.

"Your Slim Fast bar?"

"Ding ding, we have a winner" she deadpanned.

"Want some of my lunch?" he offered, shoving one half of a tuna salad sandwich toward her gaping mouth.

"Mayonnaise?!" she shrieked, recoiling back dramatically. "Ew, no. Get that away from me" she squealed, waving her hand in front of her furiously until his arm retreated back.

"Ugh, I guess I'll have to go join the common folk and buy my lunch today."

"You won't find anything" one of her three best friends nonchalantly called over her shoulder as she made her way to the staircase.

"Oh?" Sharpay inquired.

"It's all processed foods and trans-fats. You're better off splitting my sushi with me. I bought two rolls today."

Sharpay wrinkled her nose, not particularly fond of the idea of raw meat, no matter how trendy the idea was to those she knew.

"I'll just get some Jell-O or something" she resolved, turning quickly on her heel, causing her long tendrils to slap against the back of a young male conversing with his friends who stared after her quizzically.

* * *

Gabriella glanced ahead in the cafeteria line, her eyes landing on an appetizing looking turkey sub sandwich. She plucked a bottled water for herself and Troy's carton of milk and set the two drinks onto her red tray. As she neared the register she skimmed over the various foods deciding what else might fancy her taste buds. She grinned noticing the last serving dish of red Jell-O (her favorite flavor). Approaching the display case she reached forward, and a lithe arm that seemed to appear out of thin air breezed across her outstretched hand, grasping the dessert.

The act was so swift, Gabriella looked around her for a moment trying to register where this alleged Jell-O bandit had come from. As she lay eyes on the prissy blond, she did something out of character from her usual demur self- she spoke before thinking.

"Sharpay" she curtly announced.

"Gabriella" the blonde practically purred, a mixture of sarcasm and boredom dripping from each syllable.

"I was going to get that" the curly haired girl gestured at the dish nestled between Sharpay's' fingers.

"Oh, this?" she feigned ignorance, her eyes widening as she motioned toward the Jell-O.

"Yes, that" Gabriella challenged- her voice beginning to raise.

Sharpay and Gabriella had only encountered one another briefly, usually through passing, and the exchanges were always quick, to the point, and filled with indifference. After the previous summer Gabriella had resolved that it was best for she and the other half of the Evans' twins to stay as far away from one another as physically possible.

She thought back to the night at Lava Springs when she'd quit her job and stood eye to eye with Sharpay, letting her know she had better watch the way she treated the wildcats. She'd fought the urge to push the girl's shoulders that night, causing her to topple into the pool.

Now standing almost nose to nose with the troublesome teenager, she again felt herself resisting the urge to reach out and push her, at least knocking the Jell-O from her grip.

"Well I don't see your name on it."

"You saw me reach for it."

"No I didn't" she lied.

"Sharpay…" she warned.

"What?" the girl snapped, now growing irritated with the brunette's tone. Didn't she know who she was? Sharpay. Michelle. Evans. No one talked to her that way. Nobody.

"I'd like it back" Gabriella concluded, trying her best to control the small quiver in her voice as her anger bubbled inside.

Shrill laughter filled the lunchroom, causing Troy to glance over, doing a double take as he registered his girlfriend and Sharpay staring one another down.

"Hey man, I'll be right back…" he mumbled to Chad, practically sprinting toward the girls.

"You'd like it back? You must be crazy. You must be absolutely insane!" Sharpay laughed again.

Gabriella's face twisted as she fought to control her emotions. She was hungry, tired, and the louder Sharpay laughed the more her feelings shifted from fatigue to genuine despise.

Troy made his way over, shuffling his feet nervously as neither girl acknowledged his presence.

"What's going on, ladies?" he awkwardly stated, his blue eyes shifting back and forth between the two.

"Sharpay was just returning my Jell-O" Gabriella hissed.

"For the last time Gabri-_ella_" she accented her annunciation of the last part of her name, "this Jell-O- doesn't have your name on it. It's mine."

Gabriella saw red and her arm snapped out, grasping the bottom of the dish.

"Like hell it is."

Troy's eyes widened at the reflex of Gabriella's swift movement, apprehensively chuckling to himself.

"C'mon girls, it's just Jell-O. I'm sure there's more."

"I don't want more. I want this one" Gabriella calmly stated.

"Excuse me, m'am, is there anymore Jell-O?" Troy frantically called out to one of the lunch ladies.

"That's the last one for today" the woman replied.

'Shit' Troy thought to himself.

"Let go of it and no one gets hurt" Sharpay dared.

"And if I don't?" Gabriella rebuked.

Sharpay flinched only slightly- a brief flutter of her eyelashes batting before her menacing stare returned.

"Or else…" she grimly retorted.

"Babe, I have a Snack-Pak in my-"

"Troy, I appreciate the offer but this Jell-O is mine" Gabriella calmly spoke, not allowing her grip to falter as she felt Sharpay attempt to tug the dish away.

"Let go!" Sharpay screeched.

Students were now quickly making their way around the two senior girls, noticing the epic battle about to go down. They nervously glanced in their direction as they quietly excused themselves from around Troy, Gabriella, and Sharpay.

"You let go!"

"Sharpay, just-" Troy began.

"Shut up Troy!" she interrupted.

Immediately, he took a step back noticing the white knuckle grip each girl had on the cup.

The girls pulled the dish back and forth, silently threatening the other with their malicious stares.

"Let go!"

"No!"

"Yes!" Sharpay pulled her way.

"No!" Gabriella held on tighter.

"Yes!"

"You let go!" Gabriella's small hand shoved the dish toward her tray.

As their yelling became louder, no one noticed the teacher walking toward them, wanting to quickly purchase a sandwich before the end of the lunch period.

With one final tug, both girls felt the glass slip from their hands and watched helplessly as the jiggling gelatin soared through the air- landing on the head of the middle-aged woman.

Miss Darbus reeled, her eyes snapping wide open as the red goop slid down from her hair to her shoulders, various pieces bouncing off the white floor with a pathetic plopping sound.

Troy groaned inwardly, gazing at his homeroom teacher while her mouth flapped open and closed- as if she were a fish.

Gabriella's hand hung mid-air, in the same position it had been before the Jell-O went flying.

Sharpay quickly began to sputter random lies, wanting to rid herself of any wrong doing.

"Miss Darbus, it's that Montez girl's fault. I was just trying to purchase something to eat for lunch and out of nowhere she started going nuts and shoved me-" the words flew out in a rushed manner.

"DETENTION!!" her stern voice bellowed, causing all three to noticeably shrink in stature.

"But Miss Darbus!" Sharpay cried, not quite grasping the severity of the teacher's lack of patience.

"I SAID DETENTION!! TODAY!! 2PM!! DO. NOT. BE. LATE!" she growled with one last booming yell that reverberated off the cafeteria walls.

She then took off, grumbling to herself loudly while shooing students out of her way.

* * *

Gabriella wrinkled her nose from time to time, burrowing an unfaltering glare into the back of Sharpay's head. She figured if the wriggling of one's nose had worked in Bewitched, perhaps it could work in her favor that particular afternoon.

Herself, Sharpay, Troy, and Chad (whom Miss Darbus had viciously scolded for blatantly laughing at the lunch room spectacle- although he'd attempted smuggling his snorts of glee, to no avail.)

Chad glared at Troy, Troy nervously stole a glance in his girlfriend's direction, Gabriella twitched her nose once again, and Sharpay was busy furiously scribbling the necessary items needed to prepare a Gabriella Montez voodoo doll the second she got home.

"Bibbity bobbity boo" Gabriella muttered under her breath.

"What, babe?" Troy asked, noting the incomprehensible mumblings.

"I'm doing a spell" she aloofly replied, not seeing anything strange with her reasoning.

"A spell?"

"Yes, now please be quiet while I imagine a toad's head on Sharpay's body" she grumbled, silencing him quiet as he noticed the return of the cold stare she firmly held.

"I heard that!" Sharpay hissed over her shoulder, quickly turning around to click her gums loudly at the petite brunette.

"Good!" Gabriella shot back.

"You two are so dramatic. I swear, if we get another detention because you won't end this tea-party, upset does not begin to skim the surface of what I'll feel toward the both of you" Chad quietly warned.

Troy smirked at his best friend's comment.

"I don't see what's so funny" Sharpay lamented, glaring at Troy.

Holding both hands up defensively he noted "I'm not getting into the middle of this- you two started this and you'll both just have to work on figuring out a way to resolve this." He sat back, ignoring the two pairs of eyes resting upon him- one pair belonging to Gabriella, the other set Sharpays' as he lowered his head and began skimming his art history book.

Gabriella huffed loudly. She knew Troy and Chad were right. She and Sharpay's feud had been ongoing. More times than not she refused to get involved with petty theatrics of teen politics and high school status quo, but this particularly pesky blonde had an impressionable effect on Gabriella's mood.

She thought back to the summer and frowned. Why was Sharpay so concerned with a relationship she wasn't a part of? Was it jealousy? Ignorance? Boredom? Bitterness? Maybe a little of everything. She glanced over and noticed Sharpay's eyes immediately focus back to the front of the room as she had been nervously eyeing Gabriella.

Taking a deep breath and chanting the mantra 'be the bigger person' over and over inside her head, she spoke.

"Sharpay?" she whispered.

The girl did not budge, so much as flinch give any indication she was willing to hear Gabriella out.

Rolling her eyes, she tried again.

"Sharpay!"

"What, Montez?" the blonde answered, still refusing to turn around.

Gabriella noticed their detention proctor was still gone, having excused herself a few minutes prior. She took this as a chance to break the ice.

"I- well, I guess…" she stuttered. She heard Sharpay sigh heavily at her sputtering, and closed her eyes, regaining her composure. 'Be the bigger person, be the bigger person.'

"This is crazy that we're still bickering and carrying on like this."

Troy smiled internally, proud beyond belief that his girlfriend possessed the gumption it took to take the first step forward in making amends with Sharpay.

Gabriella waited for an answer, and although she did not hear the girl breath a word, she could feel her stand offish demeanor melting, so she chose to continue trying.

"We might not ever be best friends, or even acquaintances, but I do not want to keep fighting with you. It's not my goal to have enemies here at East High."

Chad shifted in his seat, snoring lightly as his head bobbed down toward his chest.

Just as Gabriella was giving up hope that there would be any end to their long standing misunderstandings, East High's most popular girl said something that shocked even Troy.

"I'm sorry."

Troy's head popped up and he glanced at Gabriella who shrugged, not knowing if they'd imagined the girls' utterance- until she spoke again.

"I'm sorry Gabriella" she quietly voiced.

Searching Troy's eyes, he silently urged her to keep talking.

"You're sorry for what?"

"Well, I haven't been the most welcoming person" she began, quickly noting "but that's just me, I'm pretty blunt and I don't like taking crap from anyone. I say what's on my mind and I guess sometime's that might get me in a bit of trouble. Anyways, you know what I mean, I'm just- you know…" her voice trailed off.

Gabriella smiled to herself. For someone like Sharpay Evans, that was as close to a real apology that anyone could hope for. It was no small feat, but a giant step forward for Sharpay to apologize. In all actuality, she'd only apologized twice in her life. Once for saying Ryan's freshman audition for the fall play was 'bad'

"_I'm sorry Ryan, it was atrocious."_

The only other time she could remember apologizing was when her nana had passed away, and she sat next to her vigil, holding her frail, bony hand.

"_I'm sorry nana that I can't do anything to make the pain go away" she barely whispered as silent tears slipped down her cheeks._

Gabriella beamed.

Approaching footsteps grew louder as their proctor returned to the room, and Gabriella quickly voiced her own apology.

"I'm sorry too Sharpay."

Their proctor returned, noting that detention would only last fifteen more minutes and rousing Chad awake by loudly slamming her books onto the front desk.

* * *

As the four students gathered their belongings, Gabriella and Sharpay snuck glances in the direction of one another. What steps should they take forward? Were they supposed to say hello in the hallways at school? Should Sharpay offer her expertise coloring advise and let Gabriella know that colors in the warm family best suited her skin tones? Was it weird for Gabriella to extend an invite for her to join she and Taylor's study sessions for classes they all shared?

Doubting that any real friendship could blossom from their newfound common-ground, time stood at a standstill until once again Sharpay spoke first, her words squashing any qualms that Gabriella may have had that they wouldn't finally allow their past to remain in the past, putting their differences aside.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" she replied, looking the curly haired 'freaky' math girl straight in the eyes as she adjusted the straps to her oversized designer bag across her shoulder.

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand, quietly trudging alongside her as they exited the classroom.

"Bye Sharpay" Gabriella called out.'

"Bye Gabriella. Bye guys" she announced to both boys also making their way down the hallway.

After the brief exchange of goodbye's, the two girls parted ways. They were a long way from being close… but it was a start.

As Sharpay sashayed in the opposite direction, heading out front to her reserved parking spot to retrieve the bubblegum pink convertible her daddy had bought for her sixteenth birthday, a small freshman boy scurried across her path of walking, halting her practiced, flawless strut. She huffed loudly.

"You are in my bubble, move freshman!" she barked, not missing a beat in her four inch heels as she happily clacked along while the boy practically dove out of her way.

Some things may never change. Sharpay would always be a diva, and Gabriella would always love learning. But the two girls, at long last were heading toward the end of their senior year amicably and on the same page- And maybe, just _maybe_ they were on the same page as friends.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it!**

**xo,**

**Audrey**


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